Tool for repairing automotive body panels



R. I. GREIDER I 'roor. FOR REPAIRING AUTOMOTIVE BODY PANELS Filed June 24, 1955 /4 INVENTOR.

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RAY I 77Z77Zamzi 50m nite TOOL FOR REPAIRING AUTOMOTIVE BODY PANELS Ray I. Greider, Pontiac, Ill.; Bessie Greider, executrix of said Ray I. Greider, deceased In automotive body repair work, it has been heretofore proposed that a hydraulic expander be extended between a pair of clamps adapted to grip opposite edges of a panel that has been bent. In such instances, the expander acts to shift the clamps away from one another, thus to stretch the panel for the purpose of taking the deformations or bends out of the same.

In all devices of this type of which I have knowledge, the'clamps are shifted outwardly from one another in a straight line. It has been noted, in this regard, that this operating characteristic of the prior art devices is not effective to bring the panel to its proper shape, under all circumstances. This is due to the fact that few if any automotive body panels in use today are flat. Rather, there is some curvature in almost all presently u'sed body panels. Therefore, straight line movement of the clamps fails to operate with fullefficiency in returning the panel to its original cross sectional configuration.

In view of the above, one important object of the pres ent invention is to eifect travel of the edge-gripping clamps through arcuate paths whenever such movements of the clamps are found desirable in straightening a curved body panel, with the paths in which the clamps travel forming, during the portion of the clamp movement in which power is being applied for the purpose of correcting the shape of the panel, extensions of the curvilinear cross section of the panel being worked on. v

A further object of importance is to provide a device as stated which, despite its improved operating characteristics, will still .be more simply constructed than the majority of the prior art devices in use for the same purpose, and it is an additional object, in this connection, that the simplified construction of the device be eflected while still being adapted to result in a body repair tool that will he possessed of a particularly great strength.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a particular clamp formation that will grip the associated panel edge securely under all circumstances, so as to prevent slippage of the clamp from said edge.

Yet another object is to associate with each clamp an upstanding, elongated post which, in association with a conventional hydraulic expander and a connecting element extending between the posts and adjusted to a preset length, will act as a lever when the expander is extended during the application of pressure against the posts, to effect the travel of the clamps through the previously discussed arcuate paths.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of one of the clamps;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the clamp on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2, a panel to be straightened being shown fragmentarily and in dotted lines;

tates Patent Figure 4 is an elevational view of the complete tool ice as it appears prior to straightening an automotive body panel; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the tool and panel at the conclusion of the straightening operation;

. The automotive repair tool constituting the present invention has been generally designated 10, and includes a pair of posts 12 welded at one end upon the top wall 13 of clamping blocks 14. Each clamping block is of solid, rectangular formation, and in opposite side walls 15 of the block, medially between the flat top and bottom surfaces of the block, coplanar clamping slots 16 are formed opening through respective side walls 15.

Spaced rows of spaced openings 18 are provided transversely through the block 14 adjacent the opposite side walls 15 and intersecting the respective slots 16. That portion 19 of each of the openings 18, opening at one end through the top wall 13 and into a respective slot 16 at its other end, is internally threaded. Clamping screws 20 are threadably engaged in the portions 19 of the openings 18 through the end thereof opening through the top wall 13. After the edge of a panel P is inserted in a selected slot 16, the screws 20 adjacent the selected slot are turned to advance toward and into gripping contact-- with the inserted panel edge. As the screws move into gripping contact the inserted edge of the panel P conpossibility of accidental displacement of the panel edge from the selected slot.

It will be understood that as used hereafter, the term I clamp will comprise both a post 12 and the clamping block 14 to which it is connected, together with the screws 20 carried by the block, and the lower portions- 19' of the openings 18.

A conventional hydraulic expander 22 constitutes a component ofthe complete tool, and includes oppositely extending push rods or rams 24 and a hose 26 through 1 which fluid is forced under pressure into the cylinder of the expander, to extend the rams in opposite directions from said cylinder. On the outer ends of the rams, there are formed post-engaging heads 28 which are recessed to receive the posts. The expander is shiftable longitudinally of the respective posts, to permit the heads 28 to be engaged with the posts at any selected location along the length'of the posts.

Used in association with the expander is a connecting means adapted to extend between the posts at a location spaced longitudinally thereof from the expander. The

connecting means, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, is adjustable as to length, it being understood that once the connecting means has been adjusted to a selected length, it will be left at that length, ordinarily, during the application of power to the expander for the purpose of extending the rams or push rods 24. In the illustrated example, the connecting member includes a pair of rod elements 30 having eyes at their outer ends loosely receiving the posts 12, and having at their inner ends threads of opposite hand engaged in a turnbuckle 32.

In use, and assuming that a panel having a curved cross section has been deformed and is to be repaired, the opposite edges of the panel are engaged in confronting slots 16 of the clamping blocks 14, after which the clamp screws or bolts 20 are turned home against said edges. The connecting means 30, 30, 32 is extended between the posts at a selected distance from the clamping block, and the hydraulic expander is engaged at its opposite ends with the posts between the connecting means and the clamping blocks, at a selected distance from the clamping blocks.

Pressure is now appliedto extend the expander, so that the push rods 24 exert pressure against the posts 12 tending to shift the same away from one another. Since the connecting member is at an adjusted, unchanging length during the application of power, extension of the push rods will cause the clamping blocks to swing about the'po'intsat which the connecting rodelernents 30 are engaged with the posts, the clamping blocks "swingin'g' ithrough arc'uat'e' paths outwardlyiroin one another in" thedircti'on ofthe "arrows" -showniiiFigur The pathsdhrough which theclampi'ng" blocks tr'avel under these circumstances constitute substantial extensions of the curvimie arpath through which the panel extends, and this'h'as been found tobe particularly effective in efliciently taking out dents or bends in'the panel. 'The anel "is thusetfectively straightened with the clamping blocksm'o'ving through arcua'te paths of'travel throughout the application of"power, rather than in a straight line as has been 'found to'be the case with the prior art lg u v Of course, the tool by reason of the construction illustrated has considerable versatility with respect to particular straightening functionsto be performed thereby. The hydraulic expander can he used at any location along the length'of the post, and similarly, the connecting member comprising a furnbiickle'32" and therods 30 can also be adjusted along the length of the posts 12 relative-to the hydraulicexpanderand clamping block. This permits the posts to'travel about any of various axes, 'to shorten or lengthen the 'radius of the are within which the clamping blockstr'avel, depending upon the particular operation to be performed." Panels of various cross sectional contours'can thus'be" effectively repaired, by varyingfthe angle of pull of the device thereupon.

'Itwill be understood'that'wherever used herein, the

term straighten does not necessarily mean the reducing of the panel to a flat condition, but rather, refers to the elimination of deformations, dents, and bends in a panel which may itself be of curvilinear cross section, to return'the panel to its original shape. In use of the device, the posts can be positioned 'at selected angles relative to one another, to correspondinglyangularly relate the clamping blocks, andat al l times, the tool will be under the full control of the operator, for the purpose of causing travel of the clamping .45

blocks. through'prescribed, arcuate paths.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to thesp'ecific' use or uses thereof"described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction :is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehen'ds any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope 'of the appended claims; i V

What is claimed is:

1. A tool 'for removing dents from a transversely curved automobile door panel comprising a pair of rigidly constituted clamps having at least one flat jaw element said clamps being adapted to grip opposite edges of said panel and an elongated post secured at one end to said jaw member and extending normal thereto, longitudinally expansible pressure applying means having at its ends heads freel'yen'ga'ging the respective posts and freely slidable upon the posts in a direction longitudinally thereof for locatingtheheads at selected adjusted distances from said jaw element, and an adjustable pressure absorbing means connected at its opposite ends to and extending between theres'pective posts at locations between said heads and the outer free ends of the posts, said posts, said pressure applying means and said pressure absorbing means lying in a common plane, said pressure absorbing means being adjustable in length and said clamps pivoting 'on the ends of the pressure absorbing meansfor travel of the panel gripping ends of'the clamps in' arcuate paths about the connections of the clamps to said opposite ends'of the pressure absorbing means responsive to longitudinal expansion of the pressure applying means, said arcuate paths being in approximate extension of the transverse curvature of the panel, each head extending at opposite sides of the clamp engaged thereby to restrict the clamps to swinging movement in said "common plane.

A' toolaccording to claim 1 wherein said pressure applyingmeans comprises a hydraulic expander including a cylinder intermediate its ends and rams opposite ends ofthe cylinder.

31A tool according to claim 1 wherein the heads of projecting from the pressure applying means are in engagement with'con- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

